1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer and a print system, and a data receiving device and a data transmitting and receiving system, and particularly relates to a printer and a print system, and a data receiving device and a data transmitting and receiving system which ensure security of data transmitted to the printer and the data receiving device.
2. Description of the Related Art
These days, a print system in which a printer is shared by means of a network has been increasingly used. Namely, by connecting plural computers as print clients to one network and connecting, for example, one printer to this network, one printer can accept print data from the plural print clients and print the print data.
In such a print system by means of the network, various users can transmit print data from their respective print clients to the printer and perform printing.
However, if the print data transmitted from the print clients is printed by the printer unconditionally, a print operation is executed even by the printer which is not installed in a place where the user intends to perform printing. In particular, in the case of a printer moved from one place where the printer has been heretofore used to another place, an IP address or the like which is an address on the network sometimes remains unchanged, and hence the transmitted print data may be printed by the printer moved to another place. The above situation is undesirable for users who want to ensure the security of print data.
Moreover, if the print data transmitted from the print clients is printed by the printer unconditionally, even print data transmitted from the print clients which are not duly authorized to perform printing with the printer is printed by the printer. In this case, print clients capable of perform printing with the printer cannot be restricted, which is undesirable as well. Especially when the possibility of the existence of users who transmit a large amount of print data with dishonest intention is considered, it is necessary to provide some print restriction.
Further, in some cases, a printer which has been used in one department of a company is moved to another department and used there. In such a case, even print clients which have heretofore had the authority of perform printing with this printer are not sometimes wanted to be given the authority to perform printing with this printer after the printer has been moved. In the above situation, a need for technology which prevents print data from the print clients from being printed on the printer side is acknowledged.
Hence, the present invention is made in view of the aforementioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a print system which ensures security of print data and a printer by restricting printable print data based on information on a position where the printer is installed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a data transmitting and receiving system which ensures security of transmit data and a data receiving device by restricting processable data based on information on a position where the data receiving device is installed. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a print system capable of smoothly decrypting received print data or a data transmitting and receiving system capable of smoothly decrypting received data even if a measure of variations in position information detected by a printer and a data receiving device occur.